Little Warrior
by foxxyboxes
Summary: Bred to be beautiful, born to be married off, and brought up as a lady. Though mild-mannered and sweet, Hiina has the blood of a warrior boiling inside her and she can't contain herself any longer. Thankfully, he could see it too and chose to help her, in more ways than she could have ever hoped. Platonic Mori x OC. OC-centered, may or may not end in romance.
1. Prologue : Arragement

**A/N:** Thank you for taking interest in my story! I will slowly update this as I go, but please enjoy what I have uploaded now. R&R if you want, as I greatly enjoy reading critique and comments. Once again, thank you and enjoy!

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, nor its characters.

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She could feel the tension in the air, like she could cut it with the bamboo sword laying at her side. Her father's onyx eyes bore into her very soul and she steeled herself, taking in a small breath as her lips formed a thin line. Hiina didn't dare look away to her mother or grandmother, both anxiously waiting for her reply. Looking away would mean defeat.

"Dear," her mother cautiously spoke up, glancing between her husband and daughter. "We knew this day was coming… Is it really such a surprise?"

'A surprise? Please,' the young girl thought bitterly. 'A surprise is normally a good thing.'

"You will get to plan the whole ceremony, won't that be fun?"

Hiina flinched, thinking of the words her father spoke just moments ago after she was called from the yard, replaying over and over in her head: _"You are to marry at the end of this school year."_ Suddenly, her legs began to ache, begging to be readjusted against the thin cushion which barely separated the hard tatami mats of their tea room from her knees. Hiina wanted to stretch and run far away, to never come back.

"Hiina, please. Nobu is a perfect match, and the Hirohashi family is known for their strong traditions. He will do this family well," Hiina listened to her grandmother quietly, gaze still locked with her father. "You must see that it is only for the good of the Kikugawa's!"

"Good?! What good is forcing marriage, _baabaa_?" Hiina snapped, whipping her head to face her grandmother, tawny eyes blazing in frustration. "What will this ancient tradition do for me, other than make me miserable?"

"That is enough," Hiina tensed at her father's strong voice, embarrassed her composure slipped so carelessly. She gave her grandmother an apologetic glance before straightening herself to face her father again, his expression carved from stone; hard and unreadable. The only visible expression was in his eyes, emotions of anger and disappointment swirling in the dark pools fixed on his eldest daughter. "I expected more from you. You are a Kikugawa, warrior blood flows within you. And a warrior holds themselves with dignity and honor." Hiina lowered her gaze from him, feeling heat creep up her neck as her lips tightened again. She bowed low, long hair swishing past her shoulders.

"Forgive me, father," she barely whispered, eyes prickling with tears. Hiina felt ashamed and truly wanted to run from the room like she was one of her younger sisters, or maybe even cry and yell at them, demanding that they call off the engagement. 'A true warrior would not stand for such treatment. They would fight.'

"You will marry Nobu Hirohashi, to continue this family line with respect, tradition, and honor. Do you understand?"

Hiina stared at the wet tatami mat inches from her nose, willing her voice to not waver as she opened her mouth to answer:

"Yes, father."


	2. Chp 1 : First Words

**A/N:** Please enjoy this chapter, and let me know how you're liking the story so far! Thank you for reading!

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Hiina's gaze was fixed outside the window again, peering over her classmate's head to watch birds flutter past the tops of the cherry blossom trees in the courtyard. It was a spring in full bloom at Ouran Academy, rosy colored petals drifting lazily to cover the brick paths below. A copper-chested songbird caught her eye as it darted from branch to branch, before taking off towards the clouds, small wings gliding gently on the breeze.

'Lucky little bird,' Hiina sighed as she turned back to their reading, highlighter loosely balanced in her fingers as she scanned over the text, underlining what seemed important. 'I wonder what type of bird I would be?'

She raised her eyes to the clock above the blackboard, counting the last few minutes before the final bell dismissed them for the day. Today has been tougher than most for Hiina to pay attention, and she was anxious to go and relax with her friends at the school's infamous Host Club.

'I have to meet with Nobu's parents tomorrow,' Hiina looked down at her desk and circled the date in her planner for the fiftieth time today, chewing her lower lip nervously. 'Maybe they'll think I'm not good enough for their son... What if they cancel the wedding?' A bubble of hope stirred inside her, but popped just as quick. The bell from the clock tower struck loudly, interrupting and frazzling the girl, her highlighter falling from her hand to the floor.

"Ah," she angled herself in her desk to reach for the pen but someone snatched it up before she could touch it. Hiina blinked and glanced upwards to see a smiling Tamaki Suoh towering above her, highlighter in hand. "O-oh! Suoh, thank you." She straightened herself upright and felt her face warm, smoothing her dress under her desk.

"Of course, my princess," he said graciously, placing the pen on her desk with a charming grin. "You seem troubled, my dear. What could be bothering such a lovely lady as yourself?"

'Such a flatterer,' Hiina flushed and cleared her throat, a shy smile creeping onto her previously bitten lips. His violet orbs begged for her worries, so welcoming and earnest. She almost had a mind to vent to him, but she knew better than to speak about private affairs. Especially when it came to weddings in their premature age.

"I'm not troubled, no," she lied carefully, catching Tamaki's partner in crime, Kyoya Ootori in the corner of her eye, who was writing in his black book of secrets. "More… Preoccupied. I feel like this week has just dragged by."

"I see," Tamaki nodded in understanding, golden mop of hair falling into his eyes before he brushed it away in a flourish, a hand grabbing his chin in thought. "Perhaps the Host Club can give you some stress relief! Will we be seeing you today?"

"Of course," Hiina gave a nod, earning a beaming smile from the host king himself. "I can't wait."

Tamaki nodded and waved his farewells to the ladies of their class, then trooped out of their classroom, proclaiming his journey to Haruhi in room 1-A. Kyoya paused to survey his surroundings. His gaze met Hiina's and she tensed, Kyoya's stare reminding her of her father's. They unblinkingly watched one another for a few moments before he gave her a sly smile and wordlessly turned to follow Tamaki, Hiina sighing heavily after he left.

'He knows,' she thought miserably, heart pounding in her throat. 'Nobody can hide from Ootori.' Hiina gathered her school supplies and stuffed them into her small bag, waving to her friends that waited at the classroom door. When she approached, they were still swooning over the two hosts that just exited.

"Oh Hiina-chan, you're so lucky! I'd love to have Tamaki-senpai and Kyoya-senpai in my class," bright-eyed Machiko Asada sighed, tugging at her curled hair in thought. "Kyoya is just so dreamy!"

"You and Kyoya, pfft. What a laugh," Nagisa Goto snickered at the girl, nudging their friend Tsuki Himura in the shoulder. "You know he's got eyes for his studies, and that's it." Tsuki's glasses slipped down her nose and she readjusted them, giving Nagisa an unamused look as Machiko puffed her reddening cheeks in protest.

"And you think you have such a chance with Tamaki? You're hardly a girl," Machiko flipped her hair at the tomboy, Nagisa now flushing with color. Hiina sighed as the two began to bicker, instead glancing at the book Tsuki was reading today.

"Plath," Tsuki said quietly, peering up at her friend. "I chose to analyze her poetry for AP English this year." Hiina grimaced at the mention of English, giving Tsuki an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"I'm glad you like it, at least," she said with a weak chuckle. English was Hiina's least favorite subject by far. She really preferred Math, because it was straightforward and built upon itself. Never did it need to sound profound or be psycho-analyzed. You just solve it, unlike English where the rules seemed made up and hardly had structure the further you go.

"Hiina-chan, who do you think would _actually_ have a chance with one of the hosts?"

Hiina was brought out of her thoughts and looked between her two friends, wishing she could be honest and say neither. All of the hosts were untouchable, but regardless, her friends insisted they each would ask their favorite host out by the end of this year. Something Hiina regrets agreeing to…

"Uhhm," she began, shifting the weight of her bag from one shoulder to the other. "I honestly think Tsuki could end up with Hunny-senpai." Tsuki flushed to bright pink and buried her face in her poetry book, glasses pushed to the top of her head.

"T-that's stupid," Tsuki mumbled, turning on her heel to head towards the staircase. The three followed suit, Machiko at Hiina's elbow.

"But, I would totally be a good match for Kyoya, right? Just imagine how cute our kids would be," the girl said excitedly, bouncing on her heels as they ascended the stairs. Hiina nodded, giving up on being honest.

Machiko would just blow her off anyway, insisting that Kyoya was her soulmate. While, Nagisa was too stubborn to admit she was far from Tamaki's type, a jock at heart. Tsuki seemed to be the only one with a viable chance to be with Hunny-senpai, though she was really quiet and shy, also a bit of a bookworm. (Though she is just as tiny and cute as Hunny.)

Hiina didn't even want to think about her "chances" anymore. She was technically engaged, and has never _truly_ spoken to her favorite host, Mori. In fact, she hasn't stepped foot in the Host Club since she learned of her engagement during their school break.

'Maybe that's why Suoh spoke to me today,' she thought with a frown. 'Or maybe Ootori just wanted to snoop on why I haven't been in. He's always so attentive. I don't know how Machiko can be infatuated with someone so… Cold.'

The four friends stood in front of Music Room #3 with a gaggle of other girls, all giggling and talking amongst themselves. Hiina looked around uncomfortably, fidgeting with her bag's strap. 'I wonder what Nobu would think of this,' she bit her lip again.

She officially met Nobu Hirohashi only last week. He seemed like an average boy, but confident and a little bit sly. He reminded Hiina of a fox, face angled with bright golden eyes and unruly chestnut brown hair. Hiina could feel they would be at odds from the minute he laid eyes on her, sizing her up like prey. The thought made her skin crawl.

Suddenly, the music room's doors opened and the hall was filled with light, rose petals fluttering around them.

"Welcome," a chorus of voices said as Hiina's eyes refocused to see the Host Club arranged on a sofa in front of them. Today, they chose to dress in Ancient Egyptian fashion. Tamaki was a pharaoh with a gleaming headpiece and jeweled, golden cuffs while Haruhi was decorated in similar fashion but appeared to be a queen with exaggerated eye makeup and a long wig. The Hitachiin twins looked like princes, each wearing a corresponding gem-encrusted armband on opposite arms. Hunny and Mori donned almost scary-looking masks, each scrawled with ornate patterns and hieroglyphs, Hunny wearing a bird mask and Mori, a jackal. Kyoya went light on his costume, appearing as an advisor with little jewelry, save for a small headband and turquoise pendant with a hieroglyph etched into it.

The girls squealed and awed, stepping into the clubroom to look around themselves, taking in the transformation. It looked just like what Hiina imagined an Egyptian palace would look like back in the days of building the pyramids. Real torches blazed on stone columns, the room smelling of exotic spices and perfumes. Large plush cushions were laid around low-sitting tables, golden tea sets waiting for them with bowls of fruit. Patterned rugs and heavy cloths were draped around the room lazily, making the room feel low and darker.

Girls chattered with excitement, finding spots to sit near the hosts after signing in with Kyoya. Hiina's friends hooked arms with her once they all checked in and sat her near Mori and Hunny's table, along with Tsuki, while Machiko and Nagisa snuck their way towards Tamaki and Kyoya, though Machiko was partial for the twins as well and chose to sit with them first.

Hiina was too busy looking around to notice the tall jackal sat in front of her, wordlessly staring at her from across the dark oak table. She jumped slightly when she noticed, letting out an airy, albeit nervous laugh. The stoic host just stared, Hiina looking down at the polished table, unsure what to say.

Glancing to her side, Hiina could see Tsuki was furiously blushing at the pages of her book as Hunny offered her a piece of his chai-spiced cake. Hiina patted her shoulder reassuringly, accepting it on her behalf. Hunny pushed his mask up onto his forehead and beamed at her, already helping himself to a mouthful of cake, cheerily humming. When Hiina turned her attention back to Mori, another girl was chatting happily at him, complimenting his mask. She felt a pang of envy at how easily the girl spoke to him, wishing she could will herself to be confident, but was slightly relieved. She knew it was pointless for her when it came to talking to Mori. Something made her tongue twist whenever she tried.

"Hiina-chan! What's your favorite sweet? Mine's strawberry cake," Hunny called out to her. The girl turned to him and smiled, Hunny's sweetness almost infectious.

"I really like mochi. Specifically red bean, though it's not too sweet," Hiina said, nodding a thank you to Haruhi who was pouring their table's tea. "It's not really sophisticated, but my grandmother has been making it since I was little." She inhaled the fragrant tea, not familiar with the dark brew but opted to drink before asking. Hiina must have made a face because she heard a small chuckle from the masked host in front of her, who was watching her again. "Bitter," she mumbled, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

"I thought you liked bitter," Hunny said with a head tilt. She shook her head, tempted to glance up at Mori again.

"Just not too sweet," Mori corrected his counterpart, passing her the sugar bowl. Hiina nodded and shakily spooned the sugar into her cup, dumbfounded that he was _actually_ paying attention.

"Takashi, your mask is making her scared," Hunny scolded, noticing Hiina spilled the sugar.

"Sorry," Mori said and removed the jackal from his face, grey eyes reflecting brightly in the torch light. Hiina shook her head as if to say, "don't worry about it" and looked down at her cup. She stirred carefully, trying not to make a bigger mess as her face flushed darkly, thankful there wasn't much light to see her flustered expression.

The other girls around her began to chitchat with Hunny, or try to converse with the ever-stoic Mori. Hiina quietly listened, sipping the unusual tea in contemplation. It tasted better now that there was sugar in it, a subtle spice flavor that tingled on her tongue.

"Mori-senpai, I heard you placed first in nationals for kendo this past break," a girl spoke up, catching Hiina's attention. She knew Mori was in the kendo club, but was glad to hear he still competed, secretly smiling into her cup.

Hiina grew up surrounded by kendo and was taught how to spar by her grandfather as a child, much to her mother's disapproval. Her family manufactured all types of kendo equipment and were famous distributors, along with being major sponsors of kendo competitions. In fact, her father attended the very national competition Mori must have competed in the past break.

"Yeah," Mori replied, eyes flickering back to Hunny. Of course, Hiina remembered watching Mori from the competitions she attended while she was a young girl, but since her grandfather passed away when she entered middle school, she hasn't gotten to go to any competitions at all.

She began to feel more at ease after she finished her first cup of tea. Hiina smiled as Tsuki actually worked up the courage to feed Hunny cake, the other girls cooing at how cute the two were. Being at the Host Club always relaxed her after a stressful week, Hiina and her friends signing up for the club the first year it opened. They were regulars, much like most of the girls here, but Hiina had to limit her appointments with Mori to once a week each Thursday. Now that she was betrothed to Nobu, she was worried that there would be even less time to spend with her friends here.

Hiina rubbed her thumb along the rim of the now empty teacup, lost in thought. She wasn't sure whether to feel sad or angry, or maybe even both. She was convinced that this may be the last time she could enjoy the Host Club's hospitality and almost felt like she was leaving the hosts behind too.

When Mori placed his hand over her own, she froze. All the laughter and chatting dulled as she looked up at him, confused. He steadily watched her, a look of understanding in his eyes as if he already knew what she was thinking. It only lasted a second and he took his hand away, along with her teacup to refill it.

"Thank you," she muttered and he gave a nod of acknowledgement, the club's lively guests returning to full volume as she stirred in more sugar. The girl brushed off the butterflies in her stomach, coming to the conclusion that she must have just been reading into Mori's courtesy too much.

'He was just refilling your tea, calm down,' she told herself, taking a deep sip. 'Just… Calm down. It didn't mean anything.' After that moment, she realized that it was the first time she actually _spoke_ to Mori and her tawny eyes widened, looking up at him again.

"Maybe I can still visit, if I make the time for it," she said softly, barely audible above the other conversations, but Mori heard and he nodded in approval, Hiina catching a glimpse of a smile upon his lips.


	3. Chp 2 : Meeting

**A/N:** Hello! Thanks for reading so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I know I enjoyed writing it! Please R &R if you have any questions, comments, or critique. Enjoy!

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Nobu's parents were surprisingly pleasant. Hiina didn't know what to expect, but was happy to see they were mostly normal people. She sat opposite Nobu and his parents, serving them tea and offering her hospitality as she was taught, mild and sweet. Their fathers didn't speak of business as it was rude to do so in the company of women, but they were visibly growing anxious as Hiina served the last part of their lunch, a simple dessert her and her grandmother made earlier that day.

Nobu's stepmother, Chiki, was younger than expected. Only in her early-thirties with salon-dyed hair and expertly done manicure, she looked out of place in her pink and green yukata when compared to Hiina's mother, Aiko, who was a humble beauty gracefully aged into her mid-forties. The girl shared her long, thick dark hair with her mother though a few silver streaks were visible whenever Aiko pulled her hair back into a tight bun as she did today.

Everyone could tell her father was not impressed with Isano Hirohashi's choice of his second wife, the woman appearing to be very unfamiliar with the values of both families' companies and very outspoken. Hiina knew her father made the marriage arrangement when Isano was still married to his first wife, and the girl now wondered if the marriage would even happen.

She tried not to look too hopeful.

"Kentaro, your daughter is a lovely host. I'm sure she will make Nobu very happy," Isano smiled as the girl seated herself, looking across the table to bow her head in gratitude, though she was gagging on the inside at the thought of serving Nobu at his own table.

She caught a glimpse of the boy from the corner of her eye, his eyes fixed on her, a teasing grin on his lips. Hiina felt herself seeth, but instead played the part of a shy admirer and looked away with a gentle giggle.

"Yes. We shall see," her father said, not showing any kindness towards the man. Isano visibly tensed, returning to his dessert quietly.

It was a uncomfortable few moments before Aiko broke the silence with light chatter between herself and Chiki, discussing new wedding trends they saw in magazines. Hiina knew her mother wanted her to join in, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything, only nod when they asked her if she was excited or happy. Any other question was met with a practiced smile.

"I think destination weddings are _divine_ ," Chiki gushed. "Especially when they're in the tropics, like Boca Rotan or near the Mediterranean Sea. Wouldn't you agree, Hiina?" The girl smiled again and nodded, though she really thought all the hot sand was terrible and hated the ocean. She especially hated entertaining the idea of marriage even more.

Everyone finished their desserts a few minutes later, Hiina making her rounds to pick up the plates, her last stop at Nobu. The boy decided to take the dishes from her hands and offer his help, which Hiina couldn't refuse. She bowed to Nobu's parents, knowing she wouldn't see them until they left for the evening. The two teens then made their way to the kitchen in silence, neither saying a word to one another or even sparing a glance. Her family's hired help was cleaning when Hiina and Nobu entered with the plates, a maid bowing as she took them from Nobu's hands.

"Shall I show you the grounds?" Hiina asked with false sweetness in her voice, smiling politely to the boy beside her. Nobu looked amused and nodded, reaching a hand up to his hair to ruffle it back into its unruly way. His eyes stood out in his brown yukata that melted into a jade green near the bottom. She hated to admit he looked almost charming, but she feels it may just be the yukata talking.

Hiina had donned her own blue yukata with small white patterns, hair pulled into a high ponytail that swayed behind her as she walked. She made sure to look as simple as possible, to show Nobu she isn't going to be dressed up just for him. Hiina even wanted to skip makeup, but her mother caught her with her powder brush right before the Hirohashi's arrived.

"Impressive estate," Nobu said, surveying the middle yard that opened to a simple courtyard garden. Hiina and her sisters would often practice in the garden with her father's kendo swords during spring and summer, the eldest sister being the best out of all five daughters. In fact, they all were practicing that very day her father gave her the news of her engagement. Her stomach began to twist as she looked at the blooming flower beds of tulips and forget-me-nots, Nobu plucking the dainty blue flowers to twist them between his fingers. She watched him twirl the petals until they fell from their stem, onto the hardwood floor and forced another smile, trying not to look too bothered.

"Our home has been passed down for generations," Hiina said quickly, continuing to walk down the long hallway. Nobu followed a few paces behind, lingering as he continued to look around.

As she tried to decide what to show the boy next, Hiina could feel him watching her, the back of her neck growing hot. She peeked over her shoulder to see him analyzing her, golden orbs lingering at her hair, then her waist, all the way down to her feet. When he noticed her watching him, he smirked and snickered, not bothering to apologize. Hiina felt a flash of anger bubble up, and in that moment she really wished she could just hit him in his stupid, smirking face… Wait.

"Hirohashi, have you ever used a kendo sword?"

"Never," he shook his head after a pause, face unreadable. The girl turned and gave him a sickly sweet smile, stepping a few paces ahead to open the door to their training room. It housed all of her father's kendo wares, from swords to armor, training dummies, and a place to meditate.

"Wanna try? I bet you can't beat me," Hiina then teased, poking Nobu playfully in the side. The boy gave her a wary glance, but shrugged.

"Alright. Let's go."

* * *

It probably wasn't the most ladylike way of getting to know your fiance, but Hiina was pent up with aggression. She couldn't take all the formalities and marriage-talk anymore! And what better way to take out that frustration than on said smug-faced fiance?

The teens donned the bare minimum when it came to safety gear, not bothering with changing out of their yukatas. They decided it best to fight on the grass outside in the courtyard. Hiina had to assist Nobu when it came to fastening his vest and helmet, rolling her eyes when he shrugged her off, insisting he could do it.

She noticed her sisters peeking into the courtyard garden from the hall, their round faces disappearing now and again around the corner of the screen door to whisper as the teens got ready. Hiina quirked a smile at them and her youngest sister, Hana, grinned toothily back.

"No hits below the waist or at the head," Hiina said as she readjusted her helmet over her face, then fixed her gaze squarely on the young man fumbling in his gear across from her. "Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," Nobu brushed her off, looking distracted as he straightened his own helmet that was slightly too big for him. "You know, you're less cute when you're dressed like that." She wanted to glare at him, but smiled instead.

"Oh? I had no idea," Hiina then took up her training sword, the bamboo light yet sturdy in her hands, and breathed deeply. It has been a while since she hit something.

"Ready," she more commanded then asked. Nobu wordlessly followed her motions, gold eyes glinting between the slotted face mask. Their swords touched and Hiina sucked in a breath. "Begin."

Hiina immediately took a short step forward, sword clacking down onto Nobu's, the boy backing up to keep his footing. She saw an opening on his right and swung, but was met with another block. She then tried to sweep to the left but Nobu was a step ahead. The two parried and blocked each other's strikes, seeming to be evenly matched, much to Hiina's astonishment. The girl was watching his sword, then looked up to his face, seeing the same glint in his eyes that meant he was just playing with her like prey, a sly fox as ever.

It only made Hiina mad and she carelessly lifted her sword above her head to hack down at Nobu. The boy was faster, a blow catching her in the ribs, successfully knocking the breath out of her. She stumbled, sword shaking in her hands as she tried to steady herself, knowing she would have a bruise. It felt hard for her to breathe, Hiina wincing and panting hard.

Nobu advanced, but hesitated, waiting for her to yield or to fight back. Hiina took his hesitation as a chance to swipe at his side, landing an awkward hit on his forearm with a crack. She heard him take a sharp inhale as he almost dropped his sword, but this time, he didn't relent. He brought down another hard swing, Hiina blocking it just in time, countering him to smack him directly upside his helmet.

She almost apologized if he didn't double her over into the grass, her helmet knocked off in the process. The butt of Nobu's sword hit her squarely in the jaw and she tasted blood. They landed with a thud, Hiina rolling him off her with a loud grunt, her sword at her side. She picked it up and hit Nobu in the back with a thwack, angrier with him, spitting out a mixture of blood and spit as she got to her feet. Nobu's helmet rolled off as he got onto his back, a flash of frustration and fear on his face as she approached. He had his sword in his hand, ready to block her attack.

"STOP," a loud voice broke through their spar like a crack of lightning. Hiina visibly jolted, whipping around to see her parents and Nobu's parents watching them from the hall. Her sister, Fumi, stood behind her mother, clutching her sleeve as she caught Hiina's gaze, apology visible in her eyes. Hiina was more reluctant to meet her father's face, straightening herself as his eyes bore into her own. She felt her knuckles tighten, going white as she clutched onto her sword, her father surveying her almost curiously, yet coolly as he ignored Mr. Hirohashi's outbursts.

"Kentaro, I can't believe this! Your daughter _fighting_ my boy," Mr. Hirohashi said the word like a curse, face turning red as he gestured to Nobu who gingerly cradled his forearm as he stood by Hiina's side. The boy gave her a sidelong glance, forehead damp with sweat, his hair clinging to his skin. She swore she saw him grin. "This is an outrage! A complete disregard of safety! Learn to control your daughter-"  
"You should not be giving me a lesson on control, Hirohashi. After all, you couldn't control yourself around your secretary," Hiina's father cut him off coldly, glancing to Chiki who ran over to the teens. She was too preoccupied with Nobu's wound, fretting over him and Hiina both. Isano Hirohashi's face began to turn purple with rage. He barked out at Chiki and Nobu to hurry and that they were leaving, stomping off.

Hiina's mother apologized to Chiki, bowing deeply, but she brushed it off.

"Please, I know that Nobu agreed to this. And look at that scrape on Hiina's chin! She's just as bruised as he is," the woman reassured Aiko, ushering Nobu out after his father. The Kikugawa's stood in silence for a moment, a breeze blowing through the wisteria tree. Aiko walked to her husband's side and gave his arm a firm squeeze before glancing back at Hiina with a look that said, "we'll talk later." Her mother exited, gathering her sisters that began to reappear to see what was happening, and took them all to another room, shutting the door.

Hiina was left with her father, the girl's eyes downcast. She knew that she got carried away, possibly breaking Nobu's arm in the process, but he challenged her. Never has she been so evenly matched. It was… Surreal.

'What would grandpa say?' She wondered. Her father crossed over to his daughter slowly, looking at the dented helmets tossed across the grass and the sword clutched in Hiina's hand, sighing heavily.

"You will apologize to the Hirohashi's when their wounds have healed," he began, much softer than Hiina expected, but nonetheless firm. "And you will never hold yourself in this manner again. You will act as you are supposed to, and be courted by Hirohashi's son properly. Am I clear?"  
"Yes father," the girl answered at once, feeling blood well up in her mouth again. It tasted bitter, like rust. She wanted to spit, but swallowed instead, grimacing at the taste. 'The taste of failure,' she thought, feeling as if Nobu didn't really win either.

"You have embarrassed this family greatly. We must pray that the Hirohashi's will still want to go through this marriage with you and their son," He said, turning to leave. Hiina looked up, stunned at the sentiment.

"Father," she began, voice strained. "Haven't you shamed Mr. Hirohashi? You have hurt his pride-"

"I have known Isano Hirohashi many years. He knows that he will never get this chance at this family's empire again. He is a greedy man. His pride will heal, and his own empire will grow a new branch," her father looked back at her, a grim smile in the corners of his lips. "I do not like this anymore than you, Hiina. I need you to stay strong," his large hand rested on top of her head, smoothing the flyaway strands of her ponytail from her face. "You know this is something we must do, for the good of all of us and for your future," he said gently, reminding Hiina of when she was just a child. Her father would only stroke her hair as he told her about stories of samurai or dragons, back before the worries of not having a male heir. There was so much time back then for her mother to bare him a son, but instead they were blessed with five daughters, though Hiina was sure her father saw it more as a curse.

"I will do my best, father," she said softly, closing her eyes as she wondered what it would've been like to be born a boy. She would have been well-respected and seen as an asset, rather than an accessory. Hiina was sure she would even be able to fight for herself. But she is not a boy. She is a female first-born; her only birthright was to be wedded away, whether she liked it or not.

"Your grandfather would have been proud. You fought with fire," her father's chuckle brought her out of her thoughts and he took his hand away from her head.

Hiina flushed and nodded, hiding her smile as she bowed. Her father turned to leave and she listened to his footfalls disappear from the grass and down the hall. She waited a little bit longer before spitting out the blood in her mouth. She then collected the discarded armor to return to its holding place, wincing at her side.

"Damn," Hiina muttered, willing herself not to cry out in pain, instead choosing to seeth over Nobu. "Stupid fox-boy. Next time, I'll-" she stopped herself short, biting her lip before correcting herself.

"Next time, I'll show him my calligraphy."

* * *

Hiina flinched as her mother prodded at her skin, noting the bruises and bumps that needed bandaging.

"Foolish girl, so careless," she tsked and took some more salve from the maid who was helping them, spreading it over the worst bruise on her side, mumbling to herself. "Your grandfather should have never taught you swordfighting," Aiko cursed the man, then smiled sadly. "Though, _obaasan_ does miss him."

"I do too," Hiina said quietly, staring at the cool marble slab of the shower in front of her, the steam of the bathhouse wafting around them. Her hair was washed, tied up in a towel on her head. Hiina was careful when washing her skin, mindful of the bruises, but her mother seemed to think differently, almost using the bruises as a reminder of her daughter's mistake.

"You broke little Hirohashi's arm," Her mother then said after a moment of silence, wrapping a bandage tightly around Hiina's hand that had splinters and open callouses. "Though he broke your rib in exchange."

"He broke my rib first," the girl mumbled, goosebumps prickling her skin as her mother tightened a cool bandage entirely around her ribcage. The family's physician made sure to check Hiina over earlier, but her mother insisted on treating her daughter herself. Hiina wished that the man had a little more backbone to stand up to her mother, but he just gave her the antibiotic salve and bandages without protest, wishing Hiina a quick recovery.

"Hiina," Aiko sighed before giving her daughter a searching look, pinning the bandage around her torso in place. "Why did you do this? What did you _think_ was going to happen if you sparred Nobu? That he would run away?" The girl bit her lower lip and looked away, brow furrowed.

'What did I expect? I don't really know… I just wanted to hit that dumb-looking face of his,' she thought honestly, but knew she couldn't tell her mother that. "I just wanted him to think I was incompatible, I guess," Hiina replied, not necessarily a lie either. Aiko shook her head and sighed again, taking her daughter's hands in her own, tutting about how gentle her fingers were and what a shame it was that they were hurt.

"And so you must have forgot that Nobu competes in kendo competitions?" Hiina's eyes widened and she gaped at her mother. Aiko almost laughed at her daughter's expression. "... You didn't know?"

"He acted as if he's never sparred before," the girl said incredulously, feeling stupid all at once. "I challenged him thinking I would win," her lips pursed as she looked up at her mother, who stood and dismissed the maid.

"You should have never sparred in the first place, Hiina," Aiko shook her head disapprovingly and washed her hands in the sink, now clean from the salve. "You know it is not becoming as a young woman to have callouses and to be participating in kendo, especially against your fiance."

"Yes mother," the girl begrudgingly mumbled, slipping on her pajamas carefully. She examined herself in the mirror by the sink, making sure the bandage on her chin stayed fixed to her skin. Hiina noted that she looked a little rough, but somehow, there was a glow about her she never noticed before. She opened her mouth to examine her teeth, sticking out her reddened tongue to see two defined teeth marks. Turns out she bit down into her tongue when she got hit in the chin, though Hiina was glad that she stopped spitting out blood by now.

Aiko unwrapped Hiina's hair and began to brush the snarls out of it, both women quiet for some time. The girl's body felt tired as she sat on the bench, letting her mother do her work. Her thoughts lingered on Nobu, wondering why he lied in the first place, his eyes flashing in her memory as they peered at her through his helmet's face mask.

"Your sisters were afraid Nobu would hurt you," Aiko spoke softly, fighting with a particularly nasty knot in Hiina's hair. "Ran and Hana were in tears. You need to apologize to them." The girl didn't even wince when her mother pulled and snagged the comb through her hair, feeling guilty all of a sudden.

"I will make sure to," Hiina said, her mother nodding in approval as she finished brushing her hair. She kissed the top of Hiina's head and smiled, hands resting on her shoulders.

"Go on to bed. I'm sure you're exhausted." The girl nodded and said her goodnights to her mother, making her way down the hall and to her room on the far right, sliding open the door. She paused before entering, deciding to peek into the room across from her own. She saw her two youngest sisters sprawled on the floor, blankets wrapped around their legs and their hair fanned around them like crowns as they peacefully slept. Creeping inside, Hiina placed a kiss on each of their cheeks, watching for a few more moments before turning to leave.

Once in her room, she flopped onto her mattress spread out on the floor, mixed emotions flying around her head as she brought a bandaged hand to drape over her eyes.

Hiina thought of Nobu, then to her parents, her sisters, and lastly of her grandfather. She could see his wrinkled smile behind her eyelids, and thought back to when he would mentor her in calligraphy and her kendo training. Both were treasured pastimes in her life even now. She has won showings in the past for her calligraphy due to her grandfather's vigilance and persistence, her distinct techniques all learned from him. He would call her his little warrior and she used to believe him, but now…

'I could have won kendo competitions too, _ojiisan_ ,' she thought as she pulled her comforter to her chin, eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep. 'With your help, I would've beat Takashi Morinozuka himself. Then Nobu wouldn't stand a chance.'


	4. Chp 3 : Sorry

**A/N:** Thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember to write a review if you'd like! Criticism and comments are my favorites!

* * *

School next Monday was excruciating. Hiina's body was still sore and stiffly bandaged, and as if to add insult to injury, practically everyone was talking about her. She was sure they all meant well and were only concerned, but it only made Hiina feel self-conscious. The nurses of Ouran Academy were informed of her condition and required to check in on her after every class period, only making the poor girl even more embarrassed. She wished her mother wasn't so worried about her sometimes and that she could change a bandage herself if needed, but that argument was quickly shot down. To continue her frustrating day, a group of her classmates stood in front of her desk after lunch and presented her with a handmade 'Get Well' card, Tamaki Suoh giving them the idea.

"He said that commoners did it for their friends," a kind, yet dim-witted girl named Sachi said with a bright smile. Her friends agreed and signed it for Hiina, though lingered after she accepted it, hoping the girl would reveal how she received her injuries. When she wouldn't budge, her classmates gave up and returned to their seats, continuing with their guesses as to what could have happened. Hiina groaned quietly and laid her head on her desk, wishing she could disappear or that her mother would have just let her stay home until she healed.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kikugawa," a smooth voice said above her. The girl looked up to see Kyoya Ootori peering down at her past his spectacles, lenses flashing as he readjusted them.

"Good afternoon, Ootori," Hiina returned the greeting, wary of him. The two hardly spoke, let alone before class. She knew that this could only mean trouble. The girl sat up straight when he reached into his black notebook of secrets and fished out an envelope. Placing it in the middle of her desk, Hiina tilted her head in question. He held up a hand before she could ask, an easy smile on his face.

"Don't worry. It's not a confession," he gave an almost teasing smirk and shut his notebook with a snap. "An invitation, if you will. To the Host Club." Hiina's eyebrows scrunched together, taking the lavender envelope in her hands.

"I don't understand. I have a membership good for another three months," she examined the rose-imprinted seal of the envelope, looking back up at Kyoya. "Is there an event I am unaware of?"

"No, no. It's just a gift, as you seem to be in quite a deal of pain recently," his eyes flashed in interest, though he was polite enough not to pry openly. "Please, use it as you will. Now, if you excuse me," Kyoya gave a polite bow and returned to his seat as if nothing happened. Hiina stared at the envelope, perplexed, yet tucked it into her bag as class started. She would deal with Kyoya's mysterious envelope later.

* * *

Hiina was grateful for the dismissal bell, the teacher reminding students that their physical exams will be coming soon in the next few weeks as everyone was packing up. Hiina moved slowly as she placed her pencil case and books into her bag, slinging it onto her shoulder. She winced when it bumped into her side, and rubbed it gingerly, her friends waiting outside the classroom again.

Since it was Monday, Hiina had her calligraphy club activities.

"Couldn't you skip just this once? I'm sure they would understand you need to relax," Machiko pleaded. "The Host Club would _totally_ be all over you and treat you super nice if you went with us! Like that one time that first-year, Mayu, hurt her leg in tennis and all the hosts catered to her hand and foot!" Hiina smiled slightly, but shook her head.

"Sorry, I really need to go. I would be upset if I learned my clubmates skipped to go to the Host Club, so I shouldn't either."

"Aww, you never hang out with us anymore, Hiina-chan…"

Hiina felt slightly guilty, but reminded herself it was _her_ idea to join the club in the first place and it wouldn't be fair to the other club members if she didn't show up. She quickly departed from her friends, much to Machiko and Nagisa's protests, and walked as swiftly as possible down the halls. Hiina switched her bag to her other side so it wouldn't hit her bandaged ribs, the students in the halls thinning out around her. She could sense some of them looking at her and turned to smile at them. They returned the gesture and Hiina continued on her way, some of them looking a bit nervous they were caught staring.

She stopped at a old wooden door across from a large window, hidden behind the bend of the hallway. It was an older room, used only for small club meetings or school festivals, nestled in a quiet corner of the castle-like school. Hiina stepped in, greeted to the smells of sumi ink and the sound of iron weights smoothing over hanshi paper. She saw her other clubmates were silently at work, each sitting at their own large desk, backpacks laid at their feet as they picked up their calligraphy brushes. Hiina looked to the board, seeing that the kanji today was "star" and strode over to the last open desk, right in front.

Supplies were already laid out, waiting near the edges of the desk. She quickly donned her small smock that was laid over the back of the chair, to prevent ink stains on her uniform and tied her hair back tightly. She smoothed her paper over the soft, black mat laid in the center of the desk, using the special iron paperweight to keep the paper in place. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hair again then picked up the sumi ink stick along with the deep well to grind her ink, pouring a small bit of water as she did so. Soon, the well was filled partway with ink and she lifted her brush. Glancing at the board once again, she tried to balance the brush in her stiff fingers as carefully as possible, deciding how to begin with her kanji.

There were nine strokes in the kanji for "star", but Hiina decided she would do it with only seven. She dipped her brush, watching the pale bristles blacken. She imagined the night sky with stars as endless as the eye could see, galaxies swirling high above as she and her sisters laid and watched, imagining stories as the night went on. She smiled, smelling the summer grass, hearing the cicadas cries as they laughed together. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Hiina's brush made the first stroke, but a jolt of pain suddenly shot up her side. She let out a small yelp of pain, black ink smearing on the fresh sheet of paper as she clutched her side, dropping the calligraphy brush. Some of her clubmates stood, chairs scraping against the tiled floor as they crossed over to her.

"Hiina! You look awful. What happened?" An older, third-year student asked, her dark brown eyes wide as if she saw Hiina's bandages for the first time. Her the other club members began to gather around, muttering their concerns for her.

"A-are you okay, Kikugawa-senpai?" A first-year chirped, peering from behind the third-year. Hiina smiled at both of them, recalling their names as Sena and Mikoto. She didn't blame them for not noticing her injuries right away, as they were all focused on their writing, but tried to brush them off.

"I'm fine, really. Just a little uncomfortable pain, I think," the girl said with a soft chuckle. Sena frowned and put her hands on her hips, obviously dissatisfied with her answer. Hiina felt someone standing over her work and looked to see the club's president, stern-faced third-year Hiro Tanaka. He was frowning, not too unusual for him, especially when it was at Hiina.

There weren't many people in the Calligraphy Club to begin with, but there were at least eight now, Hiina included. A lot of students joined when they heard Hiina joined, nearly quadrupling their club size. Most of them seemed to want to be friends with the girl due to her success in the calligraphy world, as Hiina as won high-profile showings since she entered middle school. Others were ordered by their families to make nice with her, as a way to get to know their heir-less family. Either way, Hiro was less than enthused to learn that the sudden interest in his club was because of a mildly-famous student calligrapher with a family line needing a heir.

"You wasted your supplies, Kikugawa," Hiro said, not bothering with looking at her, his eyes squinting at the inkblot. She stiffened at his cold tone and stood to bow, even though it pained her side.

"I apologize, senpai. I will pay for my mistake," Hiina said to the desktop, now staring at her paper with him. Her calligraphy brush was bleeding onto the paper and slowly dripping down, heavy ink drops smearing on the soft mat beneath the it.

"Stay after club activities. You will help me clean up," he said and turned on his heel, going to the board to write a new kanji for them to practice. Hiina sighed and sat, rubbing her side ruefully.

"Club leader! I think that Hiina would be in too much pain to clean," Sena spoke up as everyone went back to their desks. Hiina looked up at her in surprise, her senior smiling with a wink. Hiro turned back to them and his frown deepened, bright blue eyes looking between Hiina and Sena.

"You do not have to subject yourself to helping her, Kujiki-san," he said in a quick voice, obviously frustrated at his classmate's attempt to lessen Hiina's punishment. Sena just laughed and shrugged.

"You know me! Always needing to help a damsel in distress," she smiled and patted Hiina's shoulder gently before going to her desk, Hiro glaring daggers at her back the whole way. Hiina smiled warmly when Sena retreated, but quickly looked down when she saw Hiro glaring at her too, fixing another paper to begin practicing with.

* * *

The room was dustier than Hiina imagined, and she almost thought that Hiro never cleaned the room as thoroughly as he insisted she do it. However, Sena was alongside her so she didn't have to bare Hiro's punishment alone. The girl was grateful to the upperclassmen, who was currently talking about her shopping vacation with her mother they took to Paris in spring break, going on and on just to fill the silence in the clubroom (and to annoy their club leader).

Hiro was pinching the bridge of his nose as Sena went on about the crepes she had, and how they weren't the same type of crepes you could get downtown in Shibuya. If Hiina was being honest, she couldn't care less about crepes but was still politely listening, asking questions and nodding to show she was interested as she swept behind a filing cabinet. Sena was scrubbing the blackboard clean, happily chattering on before Hiro slammed his hands onto the desk he was wiping down.

"That enough, Kujiki," he said loudly, his uniquely blue eyes cutting into her. Sena and Hiina hushed themselves and turned toward him. Hiina flinched at his hard eyes, reminding her of ice, but Sena just pursed her lips in defiance.

"Oh, please. You know that face doesn't scare me, Hiro," she teased him, his face almost white as he was straining to glare at her. Hiina uncomfortably looked between the two upperclassmen, then glanced around, realizing the room was now cleaner than it has ever been, probably before the club even opened.

"Senpai, may I leave? The room is entirely clean," Hiina asked meekly. Hiro sighed heavily, turning away from Sena, and nodded while gesturing to the door.

"But not you, Kujiki," Hiro said, a severe tone in his voice that made Hiina nervous. The girl bowed and collected her cleaning supplies to put away, quickly escaping, but not before casting the older girl a thankful glance. Sena just grinned and waved her out, Hiina shutting the door behind her.

Hiina was halfway down the hall, catching her breath and trying to stretch stiff muscles before realizing that she left her bag.

'Oh damn,' she thought, not wanting to somehow get in trouble for forgetting her bag, but she couldn't risk not finishing her homework. Turning around quickly, she dashed as painlessly as possible back to the clubroom. She opened the door suddenly, already apologizing, but froze when she saw the embrace that her upperclassmen were currently in.

Hiro was kissing Sena deeply, her arms wrapped around his neck as his hands pushed into the small of her back. Hiina flushed brightly when they yanked apart, both obviously flustered as they stared at the second-year who mumbled about coming back to grab her bag.

"W-what?" Hiro asked, looking toward the place floor that Hiina was pointing at. "Oh." He grabbed it to hand it to her, avoiding eye contact purposefully. Hiina snatched the bag from him with a hasty "thank you" and ran from the clubroom, face still on fire from bursting in on her clubmates' private moment together.

'S-so they're together?! How weird. I guess opposites attract, but, t-their kiss was like they've done it so many times before. I wonder what it felt like,' she was so caught up in the thought of Hiro and Sena's kiss that she didn't realize she was walking straight towards someone until it was too late.

"Oof!" The girl stumbled, almost falling back but steadied herself. Hiina had to look up at who she ran into and almost squeaked when she realized who it was. "M-Mori-senpai!"

The boy towered over her as he turned around at the sound of his name. Seeing the blushing girl, he raised an eyebrow, but he visibly tensed when he noticed her bandages. Her face began to turn red for a different reason now, ears even growing hot as she blushed. Hiina self-consciously tried to hide her hands behind her back and look downwards to hide the large gauze on her chin, noticing that he was staring.

'Oh, kill me now, please. I don't need him to see me like this!'

"Red," Mori spoke up, poking her cheek without warning. Hiina flinched away when his finger pushed against her warm skin, shocked he would do such a thing, but relaxed when she saw his smile, small and easy, and only for her in that moment. The girl felt herself swooning, but cleared her throat, long ponytail swaying as she looked away to collect herself.

"Sorry for running into you, senpai. I should have watched where I was going," she bowed to him, realizing she has apologized quite a bit today. 'Must not be my lucky day.' She heard him hum in acknowledgement and straightened herself, smoothing out her uniform before giving a quick smile.

"I-I must be going. See you around, senpai."

Another hum, but this one was different, almost disagreeing. Hiina looked up at him, confused, but he was as stoic as ever. He held his hand out to her, eyes moving to her bag. She blinked slowly before coming to the conclusion he wanted to take her bag, and she quickly held up her hands, waving them in refusal. "No, no! You don't have to help me, senpai! I'm alright!"

His eyes watched her hands, before he reached out, taking one within his own. Hiina flinched, the callouses just now starting to heal up, but he was gentle when examining. She knew her face was tomato-red again but refused to notice it, biting her lower lip instead as she wondered what he must think of her. Her mother's words replayed in her head: " _You know it is not becoming as a young woman to have callouses and to be participating in kendo…"_

"What happened?" He then asked, bringing Hiina out of her thoughts. She tightened her lips into a thin line, wondering if she should really tell him, or just brush him off like everyone else.

'Surely he doesn't gossip, right?' But then she remembered that flash of _knowing_ she saw in Kyoya's eyes during class. Her family's physician was hired under Kyoya's family, the Ootori's and Kikugawa's on friendly-enough terms together, but she knew when Kyoya wanted information, not even doctor-patient confidentiality could keep him from getting it.

"Ootori probably told you by now," Hiina then said levelly, giving him a serious look, growing angry at the thought that he was playing dumb with her. Mori's dark silver eyes gave hints of his emotions she realized, and she saw she hurt him with the accusation, but it was true.

They _all_ knew.

The girl sighed, taking her hand away from him as an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, and almost disappointment, washed over her. Her mind was numb, the nagging sensation of her sore ribs the only thing she could think of. "Senpai, I'm sorry. I just want this day to be over."

The host let her pass, watching her go down the hall until she disappeared. Mori stared for a few moments before his blond counterpart hopped down the staircase he was waiting by, large brown eyes looking far-off and mature again.

"Kyoya gave her the letter," Hunny said, stopping a few steps before the bottom, almost level with Mori's height. "Maybe we can help her, huh Takashi?"

"Yeah," Mori said, unable to look away from the hall. "Maybe."

' _It's a host's duty to make every girl happy, afterall.'_


	5. Chp 4 : Fight Back

**A/N:** Hello everyone! This chapter, I tried writing with Mori's point-of-view, so I hope you enjoy it (it's actually the shortest chapter I've uploaded yet). Please leave any comments or criticisms if you like! Thank you!

* * *

On Thursday, Hiina didn't show up to her regular appointment with Mori at the Host Club. Her friends seemed to have no answers as to why, but the taller third-year thought he knew.

She probably read the letter.

Mori wasn't sure it was the best idea, but Tamaki insisted that it was his duty as Hiina's favorite host to help her.

"If a princess is experiencing some trouble, be it at school, home, or anywhere else, it's up to us to see her through it," the host king said after the club closed last Friday afternoon, declaring a mode of action when Kyoya brought it to his attention their classmate was experiencing family problems. "Plus, she favors you, Mori-senpai. You're the only one who can help her."

"Me?" The tall host asked, leaning against the wall opposite Tamaki and the others. He couldn't see how he could "help" like Tamaki said. She only _just now_ started talking to him, and they've known each other since middle school. Not that he spoke to her a lot to begin with.

"Miss Kikugawa has been a faithful patron since we started this club. I would hate to see her attendance drop because of a tiff between her and her father," Kyoya said, a sly edge to his voice. His glasses flashed, Mori disliking that Kyoya was only afraid of losing money from a guest, rather than show concern for a classmate. But who was he to force a girl to attend their club, especially if she was upset? Maybe she just didn't want to come anymore, even though she did say she would try to come more often… Haruhi was seated on the couch between Kyoya and Mori, sighing heavily before standing.

"Look Mori-senpai, I know that you don't believe Hiina wants to be here. She's just a shy person, but she really looks up to you. She's doesn't _just_ have a crush on you, because it's totally obvious that she does," Hikaru and Kaoru nodded in agreement as Haruhi spoke, shrugging in unison when the older host looked at them in question. "You can tell she wants to get to know you, and if you couldn't see that from the start, than you weren't giving her enough credit," the brown-haired girl was blunt, as per usual, but Mori listened. He had a lot of girls that liked him, ones that were far more talkative and friendly, but Hiina Kikugawa was odd to him. She was quiet, respectful, and liked her privacy, not too unlike himself. He never really thought much about her, until now.

Now it seemed like her name came up in every other conversation he had with the Host Club.

"What could Mori do to truly make her happy though. That's the real question," Haruhi then said, turning to look at Tamaki. Her thumb was against her chin in thought, everyone watching her as she hummed.

"Oh! How about a card? I hear commoners hand-make them, and give it to each other when they're sad," Tamaki said brightly, Haruhi giving him an unamused look when he jumped up in enthusiasm.

"That's only if someone isn't feeling well, senpai. Like if they were sick," she said dryly, Tamaki now deflating as his idea was shot down.

"Well, we know Hiina-chan would like to watch Takashi compete at kendo competitions when we were younger," Mitsukuni said with a smile, looking up at his cousin. "Right, Takashi?"

"Yeah," Mori gave a nod, remembering being introduced to an old man and his granddaughter by his kendo instructor. Hiina's grandfather was the man who sponsored the whole event, and even gave Mori a new sword to practice with when he won as a congratulation gift. The memory was a good one, and then Mori had an idea. "How about training?"

"Huh?" Everyone asked, turning to look at Mori with confusion clear on their faces. Mori felt himself tense up, not exactly liking the attention, but forced himself to explain.

"Kendo training. For Hiina," he said slowly, looking off to the side as his hands slid into his pockets. The twins were the first to speak up.

"Uh, that's not exactly what we were…"

"Thinking of."

"Mori-senpai, don't you think that she wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing?" Tamaki then asked, head tilting in question. Kyoya nodded in agreement, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Mori frowned, gazing at the tiled floor.

They didn't understand. They never saw her face when she was a child, and how excited she looked. How her eyes held so much joy, but how much she envied him too. Her grandfather saw it though, and now Mori understood. That's why he brought her there in the first place, all those years ago. To encourage her love of kendo.

"I think it's a great idea," Hunny then spoke up, nodding before looking at his stuffed rabbit. "Don'tcha think so, Usa-chan?" Mori smiled, grateful for his cousin's support. The rest of the club seemed uneasy, but agreed as well.

"So, who should we schedule the lessons with? Your instructor?" Kyoya then asked, flipping open his notebook to write down the details.

"No," Mori said, making the bespeckled host look up, interested.

"No?"

"I'll train her."

Kyoya smiled again, the one that convinced Mori he was up to something, but let it go. He was going to train Hiina, to make her confident in herself. It was the least he could do for her grandfather, who so ever so often would send him letters and attend his competitions. He remembered when he stopped coming too.

That was when his family was invited to Yusuke Kikugawa's funeral.

* * *

The girl picked up and smoothed the crumpled letter to read it again, eyes frantically scanning the page over and over, unable to truly comprehend what was said.

"Training with Mori… Come to the Morinozuka estate on Saturday. Are you kidding me?" Hiina groaned loudly and flopped onto her mattress, brows furrowed in confusion. "Why now, of all times, is he trying to get to know me? Doesn't he know I'm spoken for?!" Her cheeks flushed as she pouted and she threw the letter down again, her head spinning. She forgot about Kyoya's mysterious envelope until it fell out of her bag that evening when she was looking for her mathematics notes, and now she wished it just _stayed_ forgotten.

"I couldn't go against Father's wishes. I promised I wouldn't spar anymore," she mumbled to herself, rolling onto her stomach. Her ribs were feeling infinitely better today, but when she thought of Mori wanting to train her, they ached. "But… Mori-senpai." Hiina's face grew hot again as she buried it into her pillow, letting out a yell of frustration, kicking her feet. She didn't hear her sisters slide open her bedroom door, but soon, a giggling seven-year-old stood over Hiina.

"Hiina-oneechan~! Wanna play?" Hana asked her, pushing lightly on her eldest sister's arm. Hiina jolted and turned on her side, wincing slightly, embarrassed that she was caught wriggling on her bed. "Whattaya doin' anyways?"

"Hiina was just reading a _LOOOVE_ letter," Ran teased, coming up behind Hana with the purple envelope in hand that she swiped from Hiina's desk. Their sister turned red but wore a serious expression, sitting up.  
"I was _not_ ," Hiina said and snatched the envelope from Ran to stuff the letter back into. The girl then stuffed it under her bed and took Hana's hands, smiling at her. "What do you want to play, Hana?" The seven-year-old looked delighted that her sister asked, taking a moment to think.

"What are ya doing with Hiina?" A voice asked from the doorway, an aloof twelve-year-old leaning against the wall leading into Hiina's room.

" _Michichi_ , Hiina wants to play with us! Do you want to, too?" Hana asked, bubbly and smiling as she bounced over to the middle schooler.

"Pssh, no. And it's just Michiko, Hana. I don't like that nickname," the raven-haired tween rolled her eyes, Hana just giving her a confused look, asking her why. "Because it's baby-ish!"

"Why?"

"It just _is_ , Hana."

"Why?"

"UGH!"

"There they go again," Ran laughed, sitting at Hiina's desk and spinning in the chair. Hiina sighed, listening to her sisters bicker before standing and looking out her window, seeing that it was getting late and the sun was setting.

"Come on, you three. I'm sure _baabaa_ has dinner ready by now," she ushered Ran, Hana, and Michiko out of her room and down the hall. "Make sure to get Fumi from her room!" Hiina called to them, sliding her bedroom's door shut. She paused for a moment, staring at her bare feet in thought, biting her lower lip.

She still has to give Mori an answer, whether she wants to or not.

* * *

That night, Hiina could hardly sleep. She was tossing and turning, her side burning as she saw flashes of her dreams. Hiina could see her grandfather, and suddenly, she was back watching kendo competitions with him again. Only she was the one competing on the kendo mats, staring down her sword at Takashi Morinozuka. They were going to spar, but Hiina had no equipment on and her hands were bleeding, callouses open again. She could see her grandfather watching her, proud of her, but she knew she was going to disappoint him and lose.

When the gong sounded, they were fighting. Hiina couldn't keep up with Mori, like she was moving through molasses and seconds too late to defend herself. Her ribs broke again, her hands slippery on the sword, but he was saying something to her. His mouth was moving, but no words came out. Until Hiina jolted awake, she heard the words: " _Fight back, Hiina"_ , pounding in her head.


	6. Chp 5 : Her Answer

**A/N:** I'm really grateful to the reviews that have been left, and wanted to thank everyone who started to take interest in Hiina's story. Let me know how I'm doing if you'd like, and leave a critique or comment. Thank you! Please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Briskly, Hiina walked down the hallway from her classroom. She only had a few minutes in between classes, enough for students to leisurely stop at their lockers or to the bathroom, but not enough to cross the academy from the East wing to the West. Either way, she was determined to say the least! Her arms swung at her sides, long hair streaming behind her as she navigated through waves of students. Most of them had the common sense to move out of her way, but others were caught by surprise. Hiina excused herself as politely as possible without breaking her stride, turning a corner quickly before dashing down a set of stairs.

She was in the West wing now, where most of the third-years had their classes. Scanning the classroom numbers, she found the one she was looking for: 3-C. Hiina dashed inside, trying to look composed, but in actuality her hair was a mess and her face was flushed as she tried to catch her breath, obviously winded. Quickly, she brushed down her unruly hair with her fingers after hearing a few giggles and whispers, cheeks turning pink. Hiina righted herself and took a deep breath, scanning the room, trying to calm her frazzling nerves. She couldn't see the tallest of Ouran's Host Club in sight, but noticed a familiar face smiling at her.

"Hiina!" Sena Kujiki was grinning ear to ear as the girl approached her desk. Hiina was obviously growing suspicious of her upper classmate's smile, wondering what Sena could be thinking. "Hey, you look a little flustered. You got a love note for someone?" Sena leaned forward on her elbows to whisper, then gestured to the envelope clutched in Hiina's hand. The girl hid the envelope behind her back defensively, brows furrowed.

"W-what? No," Hiina stammered, not even considering that she looked like the type, but now it made perfect sense. It was rare to see a second or first-year student around the West wing, unless they were attending an advanced class or had a love confession. "That does explain why everyone was giving me weird looks though."

"Well, you're the second-year who must have been seen with Morinozuka a few days ago, right? Some girls started a rumor that he was dating someone from class 2-A," Sena winked, only making Hiina sigh with embarrassment. "Don't worry though. They're only gossips. They'll get bored with this rumor soon enough." Hiina fidgeted with the envelope as she felt stares on her back, hearing people whisper as she tried to listen to Sena's reassurances.

"That must be her! But look how short she is. Wouldn't they'd be awkward together?"

"I knew it! Morinozuka _does_ have a fetish for small things."

"She's so nervous… I wonder if she'll cry when he shoots her down."

"Kind of boring-looking, if you ask me. And she's not that short, geez!"

Hiina wanted to yell at them to shut up, hands trembling with anger. She whipped around, ready to run out and forget about the stupid training Mori offered but the whispers hushed themselves as said host entered the room. Hunny was perched on his shoulders, as per usual, and he first spotted the younger teen amongst the crowd.

"Hiina-chan," he called out in a bubbly voice and bright smile, jumping down from his cousin's shoulders with ease. "What are you doing here? Didya come to say hi?" Everyone turned to openly stare at Hiina now, whispering her name, asking each other if they ever heard of her. The girl bit her lower lip, face bright red in embarrassment. She could feel frustrated tears well up in her eyes, and Sena stood from her desk.

"Hiina, are you okay?" Sena reached out to her, but the girl turned away sharply.

"I'm sorry," she excused herself and dashed out of the room, her palm pressed against her mouth as she kept her head down. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the bell rung throughout the school, teachers returning to their classrooms. Hiina turned out of the hallway to hide from them, taking a moment to wipe her face. She then stared at the envelope in her hand, examining her handwriting. She couldn't count how many times she practiced writing Mori's name, over and over, trying to make it look perfect. Being a calligrapher had its benefits, like having an unnaturally still hand and sharp eye for keeping your kanji aligned, but it had its drawbacks too. Hiina still wasn't satisfied with how his name looked, frowning at the paper as she began to crumple the edges in her hands. She tore the envelope in half, along with its letter and then tore it again. Suddenly, she was furious with how she acted like such a child and how she thought she could go against her father's wishes, ignoring the nagging sense of hopelessness that has been coming in now and again these past few weeks. Instead, she focused on her anger, letting it seep into her.

'I have no options for myself anymore. I shouldn't fight it,' Hiina continued to tear the paper into small, misshapen bits. The echoes of the paper ripping and her sniffling was the only noise in the now empty hall. She stopped when the paper became too tiny to tear any further and her shoulders slumped, paper bits surrounding her feet where she stood. 'How could I ever think I could fight back?'

"What are you doing?" The sound of a low, baritone voice caught her off guard. Hiina looked over her shoulder at Mori, then turned to face him, scattering paper as she pivoted.

"I don't know," she admitted after a pause, looking at the remaining paper in her hands. "I was trying to find you, because I… I read the letter." Mori nodded like he already knew, hands in his pocket as he waited for her to continue. Hiina glanced at him to gage his reaction, seeing none but continued regardless, opting to look more at her feet than at him. "I wrote you a reply, but, uhm…" she trailed off, holding out the scraps to him. Mori watched as she dropped a handful of confetti like paper onto the floor, some of it landing on his shoe. "I got mad." He stared at the scraps for a few moments before looking at her, his head tilted in thought. Hiina could feel his gaze on her and chewed her lower lip in nervous habit, glancing up through her lashes at him.

"Your answer?" he asked pensively when he caught her stare, leaning against the hallway's wall. He was to her side now, watching her in his peripherals. Hiina was fidgeting again, looking troubled, but took a moment to collect herself.

"I have questions first, then I'll tell you my answers," she said with a small huff, leaning against the wall with him. Mori closed his eyes, then gave a nod to signal her to continue. Hiina briskly nodded, then began.

"To start, why are you offering this to me? I understand that the Host Club must have put you up to this, and I realize that it probably wasn't your idea to start with. I don't know… Why you agreed to this, or why the Host Club is involved. I want to know your true intentions and feelings about this." Hiina could see her brows furrow as she gazed out the window in front of them, staring at their reflections standing side-by-side. She bit her lip again, feeling the chapped skin in between her teeth.

"I know very little about you, Mori-senpai," she admitted, looking off to the side. "And you don't know me. You knew of my grandfather, but, I am not him. Why are you wanting to do this?" Hiina asked softly, voice strained with emotion. "Why do you suddenly care _now_ of all times?"

Mori was perplexed by the question, never taking into consideration that he could come across as disingenuous. Though, he admittedly knew hardly anything about Hiina Kikugawa, but he respected her family, especially her late-grandfather. He learned recently that a friendship was forged between his father and her grandfather, one that Mori knew very little about, but it would explain the interest the old man once showed in him when he was in middle school. He asked his father about the old man a few nights ago over dinner, but was met with a somewhat cryptic reply. " _The Kikugawa's are strong people, son. I loved Yusuke like a brother. Do not underestimate their influence, their friendship, or their hot tempers."_

Mori knew that he had an obligation with the Host Club as well, and that he believed in their cause to help their fellow students. Just because he was reserved, doesn't mean he was antisocial and hated his club members' eccentric and oftentimes extroverted pursuits. He only seemed to attract the least amount of guests who had problems to begin with, but Hiina was the one girl in a while who actually needed _his_ help, and much to his surprise, he took some pride in that.

The young man was unsure how to put all of his thoughts into the proper words, knowing the girl wanted his honesty. He took a few moments to reply, righting himself from leaning against the wall as he faced her fully once again.

"I want to help you see your strength," Mori said truthfully, keeping his eyes locked with her's as Hiina righted herself from the wall as well. Her face was stony as she crossed her arms over her chest, visibly tense.

"What if I don't want your help?" She knew it was a lie, and so did he. Hiina has never had anyone so intent on aiding her to explore her less-reserved self, the side that her grandfather tried to nurture the best he could before he passed. It was exciting to think that she would be doing things she loved against her father's wishes, with an unexpected friend. However, she kept her emotions off her face, testing Mori's resolve. She needed him to be completely, one-hundred percent sure of himself.

"Then why are you here?" he rebutted plainly, giving her a similarly firm stare. "And why do you think I came to find you?" Hiina dropped her arms after a few tense seconds and smiled, her chest feeling tight with emotion again. Mori quirked a smile in response, an urge to ruffle her hair making his hand twitch at his side.

"Thank you, Mori-senpai," she bowed to him, then paused in thought. "You're probably already aware of my… Arrangement with Nobu Hirohashi," Hiina's eyes flickered with distaste when thought of their engagement. "I do not want this training to interfere with my relationship with him. I need to keep him on agreeable terms, and to do that, I believe we must stay under wraps."

"Mm," Mori nodded, agreeing to keep their secret. Hiina then looked nervous, rubbing her arm as she looked out the window again. He noticed her biting her lips again and frowned, placing a hand on the top of her head. "I won't tell your father."

She was startled from her thoughts when he touched her, but gave a sheepish smile, grateful he could read her worries clearly printed on her face. Hiina muttered another thank you, and looked down at the mess she made, frowning.

"I need to clean this up. You can go back to class, Mori-sen-" He was already taking handfuls of paper off the floor and walking them over to the trash bin across the hall, before Hiina could finish. She pouted at him and followed suit, grabbing as much as she could, but noticed that Mori already picked up most of it.

When the two finished cleaning, they knew that the bell to end classes for today was soon going to ring. They hung back near the lockers, but Hiina was worried what Mori's classmates would think of him. She didn't mean to make him miss class, and she was sure that he had no valid excuses to fall back on either. Hiina opened her mouth, and closed it again, unsure what to say. She figured that she might as well be honest, since she insisted he should be too.

"Mori-senpai. Some of your classmates think you're interested in a second-year girl, and that she was confessing to you today," she said quickly, avoiding looking at him as she spoke. "They think… They think that it's me." Hiina flushed brightly at the awkward statement, but felt she needed to tell him if he heard any weird rumors about why he wasn't in class last period.

"Is that bad?"

"H-huh?" Hiina couldn't help but gawk at him, the upperclassmen unreadable, but something told her he was kidding. "Of course it is! I'm _engaged_ , after all. A-and the rumors that will be said about you and me would be ridiculous, I'm sure," the corners of Mori's mouth twitched upwards, and now Hiina knew he was just teasing her.

"I can't wait," he said simply, looking at her with an amused glimmer in his eye. She only grew more embarrassed and covered her face with her hands, a half-nervous laugh escaping her lips.

"I don't understand you, Morinozuka," Hiina managed to say through her muffled laughter as the dismissal bell rung. The two unlikely friends then parted ways to their respective classrooms, Hiina keeping her eyes focused on her shoes to avoid the gossipers from earlier. Mori watched her disappear in the crowd of students, then turned, hoping she'll receive little trouble for missing class. His cousin was already bounding towards him as he entered the classroom, Hunny giving him a knowing smile as he clutched his stuffed rabbit in his arms.

"You look happy, Takashi," he said quietly as they walked out of the room, heading towards the stairway to leave the West wing. Mori didn't realize he had such an obvious expression, and his cheeks tinged to red. Hunny laughed and patted Mori's arm reassuringly. "I'm glad you'll be taking her on. I think you both need the challenge." The taller of the two thought for a moment, wondering what his cousin meant, but decided to ask later. For now, they had guests to get ready for in the Host Club.


	7. Chp 6 : Unexpected

**A/N:** Wow! Thanks for the tons of new followers/favorites! I hope you all like where this is going, and that it won't disappoint. Enjoy this chapter, and thank you!

* * *

Hiina was cleaning dishes with her grandmother and the family's cook when she heard her cell phone buzz on the counter behind her, a pleasant tune playing as glasses clinked in the soapy sink she was elbow deep in. The teen paused, glancing over her shoulder as it continued to chime, wondering who could be calling her so late. Normally, her friends kept to texting when they all got home from school, all four of them busy with their own families.

Her grandmother and their cook, Kenji, didn't seem to notice it as they laughed over a shared joke, hand-drying plates with dishrags. Hiina knew it wasn't very common for people from money who could afford personal maids and cook to assist their household help, but her grandmother's mother didn't originally come from much money and always insisted her daughter learn some sort of household chore. Hiina's grandmother took the teaching to heart and passed the lesson down to her own sons, and now her granddaughters. Hiina got dish washing, and was beginning to learn to cook as well, but all of that was interrupted as she listened to the familiar chiming of her ringtone, lips firmly pressed together as she tried to ignore it.

'What if it's Mori-senpai?' the thought made her heart catch in her throat, cheeks flushing as she swallowed down the bubble of embarrassment. They exchanged numbers after classes yesterday, the third-year insisting he needed her personal cell phone number to get in contact with her if their training needed to be rescheduled. She wondered if he wanted it for other reasons, but expelled the thought from her mind as the ringing subsided and a cheerful beep let her know about a missed call.

Hiina washed the rest of the dishes quickly after that, and her grandmother took note, shooting her eldest granddaughter a suspicious look.

"Why rush, Hiina?" she asked, picking up another plate to dry it, frail yet slender fingers moving the rag skillfully over the ceramic plate. Hiina gave her best smile, but it did no good. Her grandmother saw right through her and looked knowingly at the cell phone on the counter. "Ahh, boys will do you no good. They only wish to keep you to themselves, and will get tired of you when you're old, like me."

" _Baabaa_ , _ojiisan_ never did that," the girl said with a frown, knowing her grandparents had a love unparalleled to any love story she was told during childhood. Her grandmother smiled at that, nodding slowly as she closed her eyes as if to remember.  
"Yes, yes. He was a good man… Always a good man," she said softly. Kenji laid a comforting hand on the older woman's shoulder, but she shook him off with a stern look yet smiled at the gesture. "Oh, I'm alright! That old fuddy-duddy is doing just fine in his after-life. Probably driving his father crazy, to be sure." She turned to Hiina and gestured for her to go ahead and leave, the girl bowing and saying her gratitudes for Kenji's meal before swiping her phone off the counter and exiting the kitchen.

Hiina walked swiftly down the long hallway separating the main dining room from the kitchens, flipping open the phone's screen to read that the call was from an unknown. She stopped in her tracks, brows furrowing in question at the number.

'Whoever it is, they didn't bother leaving a message,' the girl shrugged, shutting her phone to continue her way to her bedroom. When she slid open the screen door leading into the dining room, her phone began to buzz and then ring in her hand. Hiina paused and looked down at it, seeing the unfamiliar number lit up as she flicked open the screen with her thumb again. She grew curious, watching it ring for a few moments before accepting the call and bring the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Kikugawa! _Finally_ ," the voice was exasperated, but familiar to her. Hiina bit her lip, almost let down it wasn't Mori, but shook it off quickly, focusing on the problem at hand.

"Who is this…?" she asked tentatively. The voice let out a slightly-miffed grunt.

"You don't recognize the voice of your own fiance?" Hiina's eyes widened as she envisioned Nobu's smirking face, his golden eyes and fox-like features appearing in front of her in the dimly lit hall.

"My apologies, Hirohashi," she mumbled as she shuffled into the next room, shutting the door behind her. She approached the low-sitting dining table, and sat on a cushion with her legs tucked at her side.

"Cut the crap, Kikugawa," he said, obviously short-tempered, even over the phone. Hiina pursed her lips and waited for him to continue, wishing he could at least pretend to be her doting fiance for once. She always put on the act, but never has he returned the gesture. "I know what you're up to." Her throat tightened and she tried desperately to clear it, letting out a short burst of coughing by accident.

"W-what do you mean?" she tried asking in her sweetest voice after she recovered. The boy snorted.

"Are you coming down with a cold or something? You sound ridiculous."

'Crap, he caught me.' Hiina sighed heavily and leaned forward on the table, her arms crossed as she laid her head on her shoulder. "Alright, fine. What are you trying to say?"

"You're flirting with a third-year from your school, that kendo champion, Morinozuka. I have a couple friends who go there, and the rumors are flying," Nobu's voice took an edge that Hiina never heard before and her back stiffened from his tone. He was quiet for a long moment, the girl able to see him thinking, envisioning his calculating eyes trained on her and she squirmed uncomfortably. "I have to face him in nationals this year."

"I… I had no idea," she said lamely and Nobu scoffed again.

"Please, as if I thought you knew enough to care," he then sighed. "Look, I know you hate this. I get it, trust me, but if we're getting into this for… For the sake of our families, just," he paused and let out another annoyed grunt, Hiina's brows scrunched together as she wondered what was so hard to say. "Be on my side." The girl blinked slowly as she processed what he was trying to say, feeling her face grow hot as she sat up straighter.

'He's asking me to pick him,' she rubbed her lower lip in thought, feeling the bitten, chapped skin rub against her finger. 'Nobu Hirohashi is asking _me_ to pick him over Takashi Morinozuka.' The thought almost made her laugh aloud, but she cleared her throat again. 'Where is all this coming from?'

"Kikugawa?"

"Y-yes! Yes, I'm still here," she said, wondering why she was suddenly so nervous. "Uhm, so, those rumors-"

"Don't worry. I didn't believe them for a second," he said, sounding surprisingly calm. "I was only concerned with your reputation. I don't want my fiancee to be called anything short of her namesake." Hiina nodded, knowing he couldn't see it, but somehow he knew. "I only want this to be as painless as possible. Let's try to make it bearable enough for the both of us, okay?"

"Okay," she said softly. The two were quiet as they lost in themselves in their thoughts. The screen door opened behind Hiina and she looked over her shoulder to see her grandmother coming inside, quickly realizing she was still on the phone. "I have to go. Good night, Nobu."

"Good night, Hiina."

She snapped her phone shut, standing quickly as her grandma approached her with a small smile on her lips. The older woman reached a delicate hand up to caress Hiina's cheek and chuckled.

"Biting your lips? You must be troubled, Na-chan," she said affectionately, the girl smiling when she mentioned her old pet name.

"Only as much as an engaged high school student can be, _baabaa_ ," Hiina sighed and looked down at her cell phone on the table, wondering why Nobu would call her today of all days. He never made an attempt to talk to her outside their arranged meetings the whole month they were introduced, Hiina knowing full well that he must not care about her reputation either, as he said he didn't believe the rumors. She couldn't point a finger at what Nobu must think of her, but she felt lucky there was no rumors circling her about kendo training. Hiina knew that Nobu wouldn't let that stand for a second if he found out.

"Hiina, you know that your grandfather and I were arranged to be married, don't you?" Hiina was shocked by the statement, the old woman only laughing at her granddaughter's expression.

"But… _ojiisan_ said you two were in love for years and he _asked you_ to marry him, that it was destined in the stars," Hiina wanted to cringe at how cheesy it sounded, but then again, her grandfather was always a cheesy romantic. "And mother said you were sweeter to him than anyone who you met before. That people could just look at both of you and… _Know_ that you were in love."

"Yes, yes. I know," she took her hand away from Hiina's face and walked over to the opposite side of the table, sitting down on a cushion. She waited for her granddaughter to follow suit, and Hiina did so, smoothing her hair over her shoulder as she straightened herself where she sat. "Your mother and grandfather would tell you stories of the good times, but not how it truly began." A maid began to walk into the room, but paused at the doorway, bowing her head as she acknowledged the ladies of the house. Hiina's grandmother signaled for tea, and the maid scurried off towards the kitchens, Hiina waiting with baited breath as her mind whirred and her fingers clenched together in her lap.

"We were young. Younger than you," she began softly, looking at Hiina but not truly seeing her as she thought back. "I was the last of my family to be married, and my brothers had already gone off to start their own families. You see, a great rift was between all three of them as they fought with each other who to be heir, but no one ever considered me. I lacked the 'potential' that a male is inherently born with," her eyes flashed with demurral, yet she continued after a short sigh. "That was most likely the reason the arrangement was made between my family, the Obada's and the Kikugawa's." The maid returned with a tray, holding a small teapot and two teacups, along with milk, sugar, and a few tea cookies. Hiina thanked her and poured her grandmother tea, then herself, letting the older woman fix her tea first.

"I met Yusuke when I was only thirteen, while he was fifteen. Right away, he treated me like how my older brothers did. They saw right through me, and thought little of me. They only saw me as some _thing_ , and not someone," she said after taking a long sip of tea, Hiina quietly drinking her own as she listened. "As you can imagine, I didn't take kindly to him. We fought and bickered whenever we had a moment to ourselves. The things he would say to me were rude and repulsive, yet I spat whatever he said right back in his face. I truly hated him, and wished him death whenever I would go to the shrines to pray with my family," she smiled sadly and paused, looking down at her tea. "That continued for three years, our mutual dislike of one another, until Yusuke's accident." Hiina's shoulders hunched instinctively, knowing the story all too well.

Her grandfather suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm when he was only eighteen, causing him to lose consciousness and have surgery performed upon him. Afterwords, he lost a handful of controlled motor functions, like walking and holding a pencil, and some of his memory. It was a hard time in his life, one full of therapy and Hiina's grandmother's help, but her grandpa always would tell the story like it was the best thing to happen to him.

"I didn't know what to think when I heard the news. Was my wish being granted? The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth," her grandmother frowned and took another sip of tea. "He was so weak lying in the hospital bed, unable to remember _me_ of all people." She shook her head and smiled slightly at Hiina. "Sometimes, I would visit and he would say my name, but not know how he knew it. Other times, he forgot me completely. But every time I saw him, he introduced himself with a smile, again and again. And all I could think of was the times I prayed for him to get hurt, again and again.

"I was disgusted with myself, and I wanted to apologize. I felt like I made that horrible aneurysm happen, but he never understood my apologies. He became dependent on me to help him after all that, and for weeks I was with him in therapy, trying to get him back to himself. He was making fast progress, but still, he couldn't remember me," she hesitated, fighting back emotions in her eyes. Hiina reached out and took her grandmother's hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Until… Until one day in April, when I came for his regular therapy session. He finally got back to walking and he could hold a pencil to write again, yet his memory was still fuzzy. When he looked at me when I came in, I knew he remembered me. His eyes said it all, in fact, you have his eyes, Na-chan," she grinned. "I was scared he was angry with me, that he would go back to being cold and rude to me. It would all be back to the way it was, both of us unhappily engaged to one another.

"He hugged me. It was first time he showed affection like that to me, and I was so worked up, I started to cry! Yusuke only laughed at me, calling me pet names and such," she blushed and waved off the thought. "But he admitted something after he regained his memories of me. He told me that he understood why I was upset with him, and that our engagement wasn't ideal. He was brutally honest with the fact he was shutting me out purposefully, that he was trying to make our eventual marriage a disaster. He was sorry for all of it, just as I was already sorry too. We were _both_ being stubborn and refused to actually meet in the middle to find common ground." She trained her eyes levelly on Hiina, the girl lowering her teacup from her lips.

"Though our situation wasn't ideal, we married. We were just friends until years afterwards. It was an awkward time to be married and yet have no attraction between one another, but we were content to be friends. We were happy to be _together_ , but not in conventional love," she placed her teacup on its saucer before taking Hiina's hands in her own. "Hiina, I know you are unhappy, but so is Nobu. You may see him as a big bad wolf, but know he also had no options in this. We're asking a lot from you, that much I know and so do your parents, but this is what must be done. This is your trial, my little warrior. Take it with pride."

* * *

Hiina angrily brought a fist down on her pillow, repeatedly punching it over and over again. She was a spitfire of emotions, all her frustration and worries pounding inside her ribcage, begging to break out. As soon as she thought she would be happy, Nobu and her grandmother flipped her on her head, casting the shadows of doubts on her plans.

'Do I really need to train with Mori-senpai now? What would Nobu think? Would he… Hate me?' Hiina groaned loudly and flopped face down on her mattress, face buried in pillows. She was breathing heavily, forehead clammy with sweat. She snatched her phone off the floor beside her to flip open the screen, scrolling down her contacts list until she saw Mori's number. The once-cute hearts around his name made her stomach churn uncertainly and she turned to lay on her back, opening a new text message. She stopped, unsure what she wanted to say, listening to the thundering of her heart in her ears as she took a few deep breaths to slow its beating.

'Just forget about the lessons. My fiance doesn't want me to see you,' she bitterly wrote out, then promptly deleted the text. Hiina tossed her phone near the end of her bed and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face back into the pillows. 'What is he doing to me? Stupid fox-boy.'

The girl laid there for a few more moments before sitting up on her knees, staring down at her lavender-colored sheets. The words, 'little warrior' played in her head like the beat of a drum, _pum-pumming_ evenly and slowly, matching her heartbeat. She then looked towards her mirror across her bedroom, standing from her mattress to face her reflection. Her grandmother's voice came back to her: " _This is your trial… Take it with pride."_

" _Baabaa_ is right. I am a warrior," she muttered to herself, the space around her almost glowing like before, after her spar with Nobu. "But I will _not_ accept this. Never will Nobu Hirohashi beat me."

With that, she tied her long hair high up on her head and turned her back on the mirror, creeping slowly from her bedroom and to the dark hallway, out into the night.


	8. Chp 7 : Softer

Hiina did not sleep at all, still awake even in the early morning. She was disheveled, hair coming undone. The girl took in a long breath, focusing on her breathing again as she dipped her calligraphy brush into her ink well and brought it to stroke fine, yet bold lines onto her paper. She decided to meditate and practice her calligraphy all night, to keep her mind preoccupied. Her hands still trembled as she wrote, another frown creasing her brow as she examined her work.

Ironically, writing the kanji for "peace" over and over didn't seem to keep her very peaceful, and once again, she scraped the paper with dissatisfaction. Hiina reached for another sheet of paper, but noticed she ran out, grasping the tatami mats searchingly. She looked around her, the dim lights of dawn bleeding through the paper-screen door. The candles she lit later in the night were burning low, almost no wick left. Hiina's shoulders ached from repeated use, the girl slumping with exhaustion suddenly.

'What am I doing?' She thought with a groan, flopping backwards onto the floor. Hiina closed her eyes tightly, trying to think of anything to keep her calm, but only static clouded her mind. The girl's brain was officially fried.

She must have dozed off as she heard her younger sisters rush by, their playful shouts echoing down the hallway: "Hii~na-nee's boyfriend is here! Hii~na-nee's boyfriend is here!"

Hiina thought nothing of their chant as she groggily woke herself up, rubbing her eye with the back of her hand as she stifled a yawn. She sat in the kendo equipment room for a few more moments before her eyes widened and she stood up so quickly, she felt as if she gave herself whiplash. Hiina's vision took a bit to refocus as she stumbled out of the small room, face and fingers smeared with sumi ink, dark circles lining underneath her eyes, a piece of paper stuck to her heel as she followed her sisters' voices.

When she managed to find her two youngest sisters giggling mischievously, they squawked in surprise when they turned to face her.

"Z-ZOMBIE," Ran declared with a tremble, her face pale with fear. Hana's large eyes suddenly welled up with tears at the outburst, the petite 7-year-old running up to Hiina to lock her arms around her sister's knees in a hug.

"Hiina-nee, w-why are you a-a _Zombie_?" She cried, fat crocodile tears sliding down her round cheeks. Hiina didn't know how to respond, suddenly off balance. The girl began to fall backwards, arms flailing to stay upright. She began bracing herself for a collision with the hardwood floors, but someone hooked their arms under her own. Hiina's previously shut eyes popped open and she gazed upward at the face looking down at her, shocked to meet Nobu's golden eyes.

"N-Nobu…" Hiina trailed off, mouth hung open in shock. The teen seemed amused with her, quirking a brow.

"What? Too stunned to speak? I know, I have that effect with some people," he snorted at his own joke, Hiina flushing to red as she straightened herself, gently shaking off a blubbering Hana. She made sure to keep her distance from him as she tended to Hana, muttering reassuring words and wiping her tears with her thumbs only to smear ink on the youngest of the Kikugawa sisters.

"Whoooa, you have war-paint now, Hana!" Ran cooed approvingly, demanding that Hiina do her next. Hiina hung her head as Nobu snickered at them, shooting a tired glare over her shoulder at him.

"There's ink in the kendo room, just don't get it on your clothes," Hiina sighed, standing up as the terrible twosome ran off. A look of horror then passed over Hiina's face. "What have I done?" She shook her head and held a hand over her face, taking a moment to collect herself.

"So, is this a normal morning for you, Kikugawa?" Nobu's voice perked her ears and she flushed, acutely aware that he was looking at her at her worst now (and not to mention in her oldest, ugliest pair of pajamas). The girl obstinately kept her back to him, her posture rigid as waves of embarrassment crashed into her.

"N-no, it's not," she said lamely, letting out a huff as she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Anyway, why wouldn't you _call_ ahead of time, to give me time to get ready for you?! This is so rude of you, Hirohashi."

He looked entertained, leaning against the opposite wall with a playful smirk on his lips, his thick hair wildly tousled this way and that, as per usual. The morning light caught in his eyes and made them glimmer brightly, Hiina envious of how good he looked.

'He must be one of those unnatural morning people,' she grumbled, arms crossing over her stomach as he approached her, obviously trying to face her yet she refused to let him.

"I did try to call, three times in fact. It would help if you kept your cell phone on you," he suddenly grabbed her elbow, turning her to look at him in the eye. Hiina kept her gaze downward, ignoring any muffled laughter he couldn't repress as her face turned scarlet. "Am I really the rude one here? It's so cold of you to never return my calls, Kikugawa. Especially when I just want to take you on a date." Hiina's face rose quickly from the floor when he mentioned the word, "date". They stared at each other for a few tense seconds, her eyes searchingly looking into his, but Nobu looked away when a fit of laughter overtook him.

"Stoppit," the girl hissed, covering her face with her hands. She must have looked _horrifying_ to be called a zombie, make her sister cry, then laughed at by her fiance. "C-cut it out, Nobu!"

"I-I'm sorry. You just look so different," he said through a few heaves of laughter. "Totally not cute at all!" Hiina flushed angrily and turned on her heel, the paper finally unattaching from her foot, and made a bee-line for her bedroom.

"Wait up!" Nobu called to her after recovering, Hiina stopping in her tracks so quickly the teen almost smacked into her. The girl turned to face him now, her hair swishing behind her as she did so, face red and twisted up in frustration.

"No! I am _not_ going on a date with someone who laughs at me, then calls me 'not cute'. I have higher standards than that, and I can certainly find someone who will treat me with respect! Just wait until I tell my father that you disrespected me. He'll break off our engagement, I swear it," Hiina didn't know where her confidence was coming from, anger boiling in her veins. She was certain that her father wouldn't break off their engagement either, all of it a lie, but it felt good to shut Nobu up. Yet, the girl didn't realize that her fiance's face darkened and grew serious, his once-bright golden eyes darkening a few shades as he studied her face.

"It's not like this is any easier for me, you idiot," he said lowly, his shift in pitch surprising Hiina. The teen was focused on the floorboards as he spoke, looking somber. "I told you, we need to be on the same side. We both need to work on _this_ ," he gestured between the two of them, awkwardly looking away from her as he rubbed the back of his neck methodically.

"We're on the same team, Hiina," he looked back at her and took her balled up fist into his hand, spreading out her calloused fingers one by one. "We have to play the parts of young lovers." She hesitated, wanting to pull her hand away, yet the way he was looking at her made her stomach flip. His eyes weren't harsh anymore, they were… _Softer_ than she realized.

'Has he always looked at me like that?' She wondered, a stray lock of hair falling into her eyes, making her blink out of her trance. Hiina smoothed the strand behind her ear and cleared her throat, Nobu's eyes fixated on her expression, somehow Hiina's stomach twisting with excitement as she noticed.

"W-well, you're right. Just give me a couple minutes to get ready and I'll meet you in the tearoom," she said, snatching her hand back a little too quickly. "But no more laughing at me, okay?" Nobu took no notice and gave a quick nod, looking as if he snapped out of his own daze before turning to walk back down the hall without any further comments. Hiina took a moment to let out a long sigh, rolling her sore shoulders as she made her way down the opposite side of the hall. She stood in front of her room and stared at the door for a long while, mindlessly toying with the hand Nobu briefly held.

'A date with Hirohashi. How hard can this be?'

* * *

Turns out, it was nerve wrackingly simple.

Hiina wasn't sure why her mother let Nobu go and find her that morning, or why there was already a new and cute outfit laid out on her bed when she went to change, but she knew that this was _planned_ by someone. She suspected her mother or grandmother first and foremost, yet Nobu wasn't innocent either.

The girl was hiding behind her menu since they sat at the table of the posh cafe. Slews of couples were surrounding them, most of them whispering about the young pair awkwardly staring at their menus. No doubt the rumor of the engagement between two of Japan's highest grossing and well-respected company heirs spread between the talbots and gossip rings alike. Hiina dared to peek over her menu at the boy across from her, catching him doing the same. Nobu's cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink, and he smiled. She felt a twisting in her stomach again and hunched her shoulders, hiding back behind the safety of her menu.

'Why is he smiling? Does he think this is funny?' The girl wanted badly to kick him from under the table, but sadly, the tablecloth didn't hide their feet enough. Instead, she curtly shut her menu and looked over at the waitress hanging back by the hostess desk, signaling for her to come over.

"What can I get for you, Miss Kikugawa?" The waitress asked with a pleasant tone. Hiina put on her most charming airs and reached out to grab Nobu's hand. The boy flinched when her fingers touched his, but understood she was trying to play along with what he wanted to be a happy couple, a few guests of the cafe whispering their approvals.

"I think that we're just going to split the matcha cake you have. Is that alright, dear?" Hiina inwardly cringed at herself, yet her polite smile held true. Nobu cleared his throat and nodded.

"Whatever you want, my love," the girl felt her eyes widen at the pet name, wondering _why_ Nobu's cheeks are so red. The waitress complimented their choice then took their menus away, the cafe patrons satisfied to see the display of affection before turning back to their meals.

The two held hands for a moment longer, Nobu's thumb brushing over Hiina's knuckles in thought, the girl pulled her hand back and rested it in her lap, looking away towards the window. She saw people milling about the street, mostly couples holding shopping bags from stores nearby. The girl smiled at them, until she noticed a taller man stop and look up at her from the street. That's when she realized Kyoya Ootori was staring up at her, his glasses glinting in the afternoon's light.

Hiina almost jumped, her knee bumping the table and making the water glasses sway. Some people turned to look at her, the girl sheepishly giggling before turning to look at Nobu straight across from her. The chestnut-haired teen was playing with his silverware, quieter than usual. He seemed unfazed that Hiina hit the table, and only looked up after she cleared her throat a couple times.

"Hm?" He asked, eyes narrowing when he noticed her stiff posture. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing! I just thought you weren't giving me enough attention," she gave a cutesy lie, Nobu obviously unsatisfied with her answer. There was a silence between them, Hiina looking back towards the window. Kyoya had disappeared, providing something sort of relief.

'He was probably just window shopping. He didn't see me,' is what Hiina thought before she noticed her bespectacled classmate standing at the hostess booth, chatting up said hostess. The girl felt her mouth drop open, Nobu's brow quirking in question before he turned around in his seat to try and see what Hiina was staring at.

The hostess was blushing and crooning over Kyoya's natural charm long enough for Kyoya to hone in on the girl again, his smirk saying all he needed: "I caught you." Hiina looked away quickly, taking a long swig of her water while trying to calm herself down. She felt her lips press together firmly, and Nobu turned back to her.

"Do you know that guy?" He asks, pointing over his shoulder. "That's Kyoya Ootori. His company has been trying to buy out my dad's for years now." The girl glanced between the two and frowned.

"What? Really?" Nobu nodded. Hiina's interest peeked, brow furrowing as she looked directly at Nobu, leaning forward. "Why?"

"The Ootori group took interest with our textile factories. Wanted it for some sort of research, or maybe just to gain a new asset to their conglomerate. Offered us triple what we earned in the last five years…" Nobu said, trailing off for a moment as a dark look came over his face, as if the memory left a sour taste in his mouth. "We turned them down of course. Our partner brand, _vêtir_ , has become really successful since Ootori first asked and I think that Dad has only pissed them off since he denied them again last spring break."

"So… The Ootori's were wanting to expand into textiles?" Hiina almost whispered. Nobu somehow managed to hear her and nodded again. She looked down at her lap and bit her lip in thought, glancing back towards Kyoya who was conversing with a man who looked like the manager. She watched him smile and wave while turning to go, both making eye contact before he disappeared out the door.

'That explains why he has been so attentive lately.'

The waitress soon returned to their table after that with their order, placing the slices of cake in front of them with a wide smile.

"Good news! Mr. Kyoya Ootori stopped by and paid for your dessert today. He said to pass on his congratulations to the happy couple!" Hiina's smiled faltered a bit, seeing Nobu tense in her peripherals. She reached out without thinking, resting a hand over his clenched fist, feeling his fingers relax the slightest bit.

"Thank you. We're… Shocked by such kindness."

* * *

 **AN:** Finally updated! I know it has been a while... I'm finally done with school for spring, and will be starting summer classes not long from now. Hopefully, I'll have more time to write and finish this story this summer! (I became inspired lately, so I'll probably be writing in full swing!)

Thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed this story, and for all the reviews. I really appreciate that people take the time to read my work!


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